Battle to the Death
by Katiya Kramer
Summary: Volume IV of my series. After years of knowing their fate, the time has finally come for Cid and Katiya's final meeting. When an old rival interferes, Katiya must prepare to face her father one last time.
1. To End the Curse

DISCLAIMER

I do NOT own any of the Final Fantasy VIII characters. Squaresoft does. So DO NOT sue me! I do own Katiya, Celeste, Drusilla and any other character I introduce in this story.

Prologue

To End the Curse

"Cid! It is time for your lesson!"

The blankets flew off of the bed as a young boy jumped off from it and ran to his closet. He quickly dressed and put on his glasses. After running down the stairs, he found his mother, making scrambled eggs. The young woman turned her silver hair in a braid.

She spoke, "Cid! What about your-"

The door shut as Serenity's young son ran right out of the house. She sighed and smiled.

"He's just like his father. Why do I even bother…?"

A muscular middle-aged man stood outside, waiting. He held a sword in each hand. The young boy ran over, excited.

"Ok, Dad! I am ready!" Cid said, pumping his fists into the air.

Alexander turned to his son, "You were always eager to learn, my son."

Little Cid grinned, "I want to be strong like you!"

"And you will be, just like every man in this family."

"Dad, why is always men?"

Alexander kneeled down next to his five year old son, "Well…we see women as being the weaker sex. A woman could never defend our family's honor."

_I was five years old when my father told me that. It was the general belief of the Kramer family. I never believed it. That is why I trained Katiya so hard. I wanted her to prove it wrong, to prove my father wrong. Yes, Jonathan had a part in my decision to train her as well, but I always wanted to prove the Kramer family's beliefs to be bogus. But in doing so, I also helped our fate…and now there is no way to stop it. The Kramers have been killing each other for years. The curse will live on._Cid was floating in a capsule of water, he was naked and exhausted. The doors opened and Vinerica entered. Her spell had weakened Cid's physical strength. Her plan was working so far. It would succeed.

"Time is running out, Cid. It is finally time to fulfill your fate. Time for you to spill the blood of your daughter…"

She suddenly smashed her hands on the glass of the capsule and a dark light entered it. Cid's head snapped back as he was being overwhelmed by the powers of the sorceress. His screams could be heard all through the glass and throughout the dark room. The light vanished and the screams ended. Cid lowered his head and opened his eyes. His eyes had changed color, and an evil grin crossed is face…


	2. Disapproval

Chapter I

Disapproval

"YOU WANT TO MARRY A SORCERESS?"

Cid looked at his father, "I love Edea!"

The taller man glared, 'Do not disgrace our family by having a girl born into it!"

"I want to have a daughter!"

Alexander shoved Cid to the floor, "Weakling! You desire to destroy our family?!"

His son replied, "I don't even see how a woman will run our family! I don't see how you know that marrying Edea will produce a girl!"

"She is a sorceress! Chances are that a child born from her will be female!"

"And how do you know that!?"

"The Kramer's have executed sorceresses while they were pregnant! After removing the child's corpse from the body, it was always a female!"

Cid was silent for a moment, disgusted with his family's ways. He finally replied after a long minute, "I don't care. I love Edea! I will raise a child, boy or girl, to carry out our family's traditions!"

Alexander growled and suddenly his boot lashed out and into the stomach of his fifteen year old son. Alexander was incredibly strong, stronger than him, and the blow sent him flying back against the grandfather clock in the living room. Serenity heard the glass shatter from the bedroom and hurried in, screaming when she saw Cid, and sitting up against the clock in a pile of glass. The mother tried to go to Cid, but Alexander held his wife back.

"You are a worthless little bastard. I never should have impregnated your mother with you. Jonathan should have been raised to take the lead of the family, not you," Alexander told his son, staring at him with daggers of anger.

Cid looked up at his father, blood tricking from a cut on his forehead from the glass. His glasses were on the floor, near his left hand. Alexander turned on his heel and left the room. Serenity stared at her son, walking over and touching the cut on his head.

"Cid…"

Cid looked down, "I am fine, Mom. I'm so sorry."

Serenity watched as her son stood and walked out of the house. She then cried, upset with the whole situation.

That was the last time that Cid ever saw his parents alive.

As she ran towards the wall, Alexandra Kramer concentrated on one thing. She was going to do this move. She started running up the wall and soon bounced off of it. She flipped backwards and landed on her feet.

"Excellent!" Cid, her grandfather, said to her.

Katiya asked Cid to supervise her training while Katiya and Celeste were away on a romantic trip. Cid agreed, wanting to see how well Katiya had been training her. It seemed that Katiya was just beginning to teach her daughter the more advanced moves. Cid decided to take care of that for Katiya. However, he could not spar with her. His arm was still healing and in a cast. It had been three weeks since Jonathan died. His wounds and Katiya's were still healing. When she left, Katiya was still in pain. The bruises on her neck were gone, but her gunshot wound was still healing. It was healing well, but was the main thing that caused her pain, that and her still problematic ribcage. Cid and Edea didn't want to see her leave, worried about her health, but Katiya said she would be find and that the resort had a hospital nearby.

The two had been gone for two days, and wouldn't be back until late March. There were many reasons why Katiya and Celeste went on vacation; it was a gift from the SeeDs for the two, as they needed time together before Katiya's death.

The other reason was that Katiya wanted to 'get the hell out of garden.' The tension was high once again between Cid and Katiya. Katiya needed to get away from her father for a while. Cid needed to be away from her as well.

However, Katiya didn't want to be separated from Alexandra and Victoria, her daughters. But Alexandra told her mother that it was best that she spend time with Celeste. It hurt, but she knew it was best that Katiya be with Celeste, who had gone through so much over the past few years. After they returned, Katiya vowed to spend every moment with her daughters, no matter what.

After training his granddaughter for two hours, Cid went to his office and to the nursery. He found Edea sitting on the bed, feeding Victoria a bottle of milk. Maximilian, their son, was sleeping in his crib. He was now a year old and growing fast. Edea looked at Cid and smiled.

"He is a year old, and is looking more and more like his father," she said to him.

Cid smiled back to her, "I only wish I could be here when he grows up, and that Katiya could be here for Alex and Victoria."

His wife looked down, "I understand…every time I see you with Max, or Katiya with the girls, I become sad. The girls are loosing their mother, and Max his father.

The Headmaster sighed, "My father, he never would have forgiven me for having Katiya. He would have killed her."

"Alexander didn't realize how strong she could be."

"When I saw Katiya hanging in the fire cavern, I was horrified. Immediately I thought, 'Was my father really right?' I realized that no matter how many times she tried, Katiya never came close to beating Jonathan…or me…"

"Cid, that means nothing."

"Then Squall defeated her a few times…"

"And she beat him-"

"Once," Cid interrupted.

"Cid…"

Cid sat on the bed next to his wife and granddaughter, "Maybe he was right, maybe girls are weak. Maybe males should remain the dominant force in the family."

Edea touched his shoulder, "Cid, remember, despite everything she was been put through, how many time she was been beaten in her whole life, she still stands strong."

Cid stared at her.

"She has been hurt on every inch of her body. She has a bad knee, missing ribs, two missing knuckles and can't become pregnant again…"

Her husband looked down.

Edea continued, "She has been shot, stabbed, burned, hung, raped, beaten, tortured…she's had everything done to her. She is still alive. She is still fighting. She is still strong. She is tough, Cid. She has your strength and determination. She is your daughter."

Cid closed his eyes as tears ran down his cheeks. Edea put Victoria on the bed and hugged her husband.

The Headmaster asked, "How will it happen? What will drive me to fight my own daughter, to kill her? We have overcome so many issues in the past. What could come between us to make me-"

"You fought for most of her life, yet you two are so close. You know her better than anyone else, even Celeste. She's your daughter, Cid."

"But what…"

"I don't know. But what I do know is that you two have survived for this battle. This is truly your fate. Another thing…Katiya said it herself…she wouldn't want to die any other way. It's been her life long goal to defeat you. She wants to beat you, Cid."

Cid stood up from the bed and walked to the dresser, picking up a picture that was taken moments after Katiya's birth. Edea was sitting up on the hospital bed, covered in sweat. Cid stood next to her, holding a small pink bundle. It was Katiya.

The Headmaster brought the picture to his chest and held it, tears pouring from his eyes…


	3. Field of the Fallen

Chapter II

Field of the Fallen

Cid swung his sword through the air, sweat dripped down his biceps and chest. He had been training for a full hour, and was incredibly exhausted. Edea came out, holding an infant boy, Nathanal. She looked devastated. Cid stopped his training and looked over to his fiancée. They were to marry in two months. He put his sword back into its scabbard and walked up the stairs, to where Edea was. He grabbed a towel off of the clothesline and wiped the sweat from his face and body. Edea was crying.

"Are you ready?" He asked, touching her cheek.

The young woman replied, "It's for the best…right?"

"You said it yourself, you don't want him growing up with Jonathan still around."

Edea nodded and Cid wrapped his arms around her, wishing that she didn't have to do this.

They took the baby to the hospital, where a doctor was waiting outside. It was Edea's sister, Kira Thorn. She was tall with blonde hair that went down to her shoulders. She stared at her little sister, knowing Edea was in pain from all this. Edea held the baby tightly and kissed his forehead.

"Good-bye, my little boy…" She whispered to little Nathanal, sobbing.

She gave the baby to Kira, her heart aching as she let go. She stepped back into Cid's arms. Kira walked into the hospital with the baby. Cid held Edea tightly as she cried in his arms.

"We will visit him, Edea…I promise…"

Cid pulled to the side of the road and stepped out of his car. The whole cemetery was empty except for the mass amount of graves. He opened the door to the backseat and pulled out a small bundle of flowers. He walked over to his parents graves and kneeled down in front of them.

After placing the flowers in a vase, he spoke, "Soon, I will see you two again. And Katiya will meet you. I remember, every time I would talk about you, Father, she would always tell me the same thing, 'I want to meet him.' And it broke my heart. I never told her about how much you and every other male leader of our family hated women. How you would have wanted to see her dead. How much you would have hated her and her daughters, and how much you hated Edea. All I told her was that you wouldn't have liked her, but I never really gave her a reason why. If you knew her, maybe your views would change…she is strong, Father. She really is. She is determined and doesn't let anyone hurt those she loves. Alexandra and Victoria will probably get that same determination that their mother carries in her heart."

He heard another car pull up and turned his head. He saw Nathanal step out of his car and stood up.

"Nathanal," He spoke.

Nathanal looked over to the most recently buried grave. Jonathan's grave.

"I never thought I would see you here," Nathanal spoke to Cid.

Cid sighed, "My parents are buried here, and of course I would still come."

"I meant that I always thought that Jonathan would have killed you and Katiya first, or you never would have killed him."

"I thought that too from time to time, but right after my parents were murdered, I swore with my own blood that I would avenge them."

Nathanal walked over to his father's grave, "Is that how our family runs? On revenge?"

Cid looked down, "Jonathan felt as though Father was the reason that Cassandra died, when in reality she committed suicide. Father told me that Cassandra was always troubled. She threatened suicide all the time. That's why he left her. He tried to get her help, but she didn't see that anything was wrong with her. Jonathan never knew that his mother had problems. Father knew he wouldn't believe it. After all, Jonathan watched his mother die in front of him."

"And he saw that Grandfather killed her, that she died of a broken heart. And that is why he killed him and your mother."

"And I killed him to avenge my parents, but not only that, to end the pain he was causing to everyone I loved. He was a monster. He raped your mother, your sister, Celeste…he nearly killed everyone that wasn't your mother. He probably would have killed you as well, because you took the Kramer name."

"After Mom told me what he had done, I could never see him as my father, just a monster. And that was what he was, a monster. Even the police wouldn't handle him, because they feared him."

"Leaving me to do the dirty work," Cid replied, "I didn't care. It was my job to kill him."

Nathanal nodded then looked down, "I always wondered though…I was conceived through rape…does Mother really love me?"

Cid's head shot up to him, "What?"

"She didn't even love him, and he hurt her in the worst way possible."

The older man stared at him, "He may have raped her but trust me, the first time I ever saw so much heart break from your Mother was when she gave you up. It hurt to do it. But she knew she had to, in order to protect you. Jonathan would have stolen you, and raised you to be just like him. She does love you."

"Just like you love Katiya?"

Cid blinked then scratched his head, "Well…uh…the relationship that Katiya and I have is unique…"

"But you love her, right?"

The Headmaster sighed, and then looked up at the sky, "Of course. She may be a real pain in the ass at times, but she is my daughter. From the moment that I held her in my arms, I loved her. She is my first born, and my baby girl. I wish I could give that same love to Max.

Nathanal stared at his step-father, "You have yet to accept it…"

"It's that obvious, isn't it? I wonder if Katiya noticed."

"I am sure she did, but hasn't said anything."

Cid chuckled, "Which means she has yet to accept this as well. That liar."

"She always lies."

"Of course. I think the first words out of her mouth were her confessing to a lie. She broke a vase and she shook her head no when Edea asked her if she did it, and later she said she lied. Ok, maybe it wasn't the first word she ever said, but it was one of them. I am surprised her first word wasn't 'dumbass.'"

"What was her first word?"

Cid sighed, "Daddy."

"Awww…"

"Yeah, now look at what she calls me. She did a complete 180 by the time she was seven."

Nathanal laughed.

Cid then said to him, "But, Nathanal, I want you to do me one favor."

"Yes?"

"Watch over your mother and Max for me."

Nathanal nodded, "I will, I promise."

Cid looked over to the graves of his parents again, then his half-brother, "So many lives lost and ruined because of our family. In a short while, two more graves will join them."

Nathanal then saw Cid turn away. Cid removed his glasses and wiped the tears from his eyes. It was then that Nathanal realized that even though this whole situation was tearing up those close to Cid and Katiya, it was tearing them up even more…


	4. Vinerica's Plot

Chapter III

Vinerica's Plot

Vinerica Talor was filled with emotions of hate, anger, fury, sadness, devastation, and revenge. Jonathan was dead, killed by Cid, the father of the same bitch that killed her previous lover, Alec Veika. He was dead, his body dissolved in the burning lava inside the fire cavern. If only Cid didn't get there that quickly, Katiya would have been dead. But he found them and saved Katiya from being hung. Now both the loves of her life were among the diseased. She hungered for revenge, now it was no longer focused on Katiya alone. Cid and Katiya both were targets. They both would die.

It then hit her as she watched the lava flow at the spot where Jonathan fell and died. Their fate, she would make that happen. She would avenge Alec and Jonathan. She knew just how to do it.

"Please Edea! I need you to push!" Kira shouted to her sister as Edea was lying on the hospital bed, sweating and clutching her new husband, Cid. Cid held her hand and kissed her forehead, supporting his wife through the pain. Edea was screaming, the contractions getting too close for her to stand it.

"Just a bit more!"

"Come on, Honey," Cid whispered to her, "You can do it."

"AHHHH!!" Edea cried out, pushing as hard a she could.

Moments later, a baby's cry filled the room.

Kira smiled, "It's a girl…"

Edea rested against the pillow, repeating, "A girl…I have a daughter…"

"We have a daughter," Cid told her, smiling.

Kira handed Edea a pink bundle and Edea saw her daughter's face for the first time.

Edea looked up at Cid, smiling, "She is so beautiful!"

Cid smiled, "She has your face…"

"Look at what we made…let's name her, Katiya, after my grandmother."

"And her middle name, Milessa, after mine."

"Katiya Milessa Kramer," Edea spoke, kissing her baby's forehead after.

A hand gently moved across her body, up from her belly button to her chest, feeling each of the scars that covered her. It then came up to her left breast, then above it and felt the fresh scar, circular shaped.

"It's still there huh?"

Celeste Rovanov sighed, "Yeah."

Lying next to her was Katiya, whose eyes were shut. Celeste cast a cure spell on the wound were Jonathan had shot Katiya, and then placed a bandaged over it. She scared at the other scars on Katiya's body. One was from the surgery to remove the sections of her ribs, another from her rib coming out of her chest. Small burn marks remained, as did a scar on her knee from being tortured by Jonathan. Her back carried the larger burns. Celeste then felt Katiya's right hand, feeling the two missing knuckles. Katiya opened her eyes slightly and looked at her girlfriend. Celeste stared at her, silent.

Katiya sat up, slowly, "Celes…"

Celeste looked at the scar on her shoulder, left from two gunshot wounds. One from her father, and the other was from the Rovanov Mansion Guards. Then there was the internal wound, her destroyed ovaries; the reason that Katiya could no longer become pregnant.

"You have been through so much…" Celeste whispered, knowing that the emotional scars haunted Katiya as well.

"But I am fine, Celeste."

Celeste looked down, "For now."

"Celes, I am so sorry."

"It's not your fault, its fate."

Katiya sighed and embraced Celeste, "Yes, it is fate. It was fate that kept me alive through all the times I should have died. When I was shot, I know that it was my powers that helped; my father didn't do it himself. My powers kept me alive, and I am curtain I felt Drusilla act up then too. She isn't leaving my body yet."

"Yet?"

Katiya sighed, "Victoria."

Celeste was confused.

"We made a deal after I had her. Before I die, she will transfer into Victoria."

"Kitty!"

"It was either that or when she woke up next; she would have killed both of my girls."

Celeste was shocked, "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Only Cid knows. I told him before she popped out last time. I can't bring myself to tell the girls though."

Celeste sighed, "So you're hiding this from them too?"

"I know. It's bad, but Drusilla is also threatening to take over and kill them."

"She can't."

"She can," Katiya said, "With my wounds, she can. Also, I am beginning to prepare my powers for the transfer into Alexandra."

Celeste replied, "You will do that before you die right?"

"Yes. I don't want them to be around when I die. I want you to be with them, far away from wherever Cid and I will kill each other."

Celeste shook her head, "No. I am not going to leave you. I want to be at your side when you die."

"Celeste-"

"I don't care how dangerous it is. I want to be with you."

Katiya sighed, "Just promise me that you will protect my daughters, and live a happy life. I will always be with you, in spirit."

Celeste began to cry and nodded, then burst into the tears. She clubbed onto Katiya hard, never wanted to let go. Katiya felt the same way.

"I can't live without you. I just can't. You mean the world to me. I don't know if-"

"Shhh…" Katiya ran her hands through Celeste's long red hair, "Don't talk like that…you can live after I die."

"No, I can't."

"Celeste, you are strong, kind, caring. Don't let this upset you too much. If you were to die, I would be upset. You have so much to live through yet. So live to the fullest. For me."

The redhead looked up at Katiya, tears running down her cheeks.

"I love you, Kitty."

"I love you, too," Katiya said before kissing Celeste, passionately.

Leaving Celeste and her daughters was ripping her heart up, but she had no choice.

"Where is it!?" Vinerica shouted, searching every book in her room. She was trying to find a spell, and she had to have that spell in order to put her plan into action.

Minutes later, she shouted, "Ha! Here it is! Finally!"

She walked into a room, a nursery. She approached a crib holding a book in her arm. A young baby boy was inside, sleeping.

"Don't worry, my Son. Mommy will avenge your Daddy. I promise you that, my little Jonathan…"


	5. Missing

Chapter IV

Missing

"Hello? Oh, hi Mr. Kramer! You are? Already? But…ok. If it is ok with you. Call me. Bye,"

Candice hung up the phone and grabbed her jacket. She walked to Katiya's bedroom and opened the door. Six year old Katiya was sound asleep. Candice baby sat Katiya all the time. After checking on her, Candice closed the door and walked out of the house. Fourteen minutes later, Jonathan entered the house, a grin on his face.

The sound of an opening door awoke Katiya, "Mommy? Daddy? Candice?"

Her bedroom door opened and Katiya sat up. She froze when she saw the scars.

Jonathan grinned at her, "Hello, Katiya, darling."

"Y-you…"

As he began to approach her, Katiya grabbed her doll and jumped off the bed. Jonathan tried to grab her, but Katiya barely missed his hand.

"Mommy! Daddy! Candice!" She screamed, running out of her bedroom, clutching her doll.

Her heart was beating so fast, she was terrified. She ran outside, past the second house, where all the orphans were sleeping. She ran down the stairs to the shore, knowing her uncle was close behind. She ran through the sand, leaving small footprints behind. Jonathan finally caught up with her and grabbed a handful of her hair, yanking her off of the ground and to him.

Katiya screamed for help. Inside the orphanage, Squall and the others woke up, hearing the screams. The small kids sat up and Zell looked out the window near his bed. He saw a tall dark man holding Katiya by the hair.

"Kati's in trouble!" Zell shouted to the others.

Jonathan threw Katiya to the ground and pinned her down. Katiya was crying as the ocean tied would reach them, causing her pajamas to become soaked with water. Jonathan wrapped his large hands around her small neck and squezzed as hard as he could. Katiya instantly felt the air being drawn from her. She kicked at him, but he wasn't affected at all.

Suddenly, a rock collided with Jonathan's head. He released Katiya and turned around, pissed.

There stood Squall, Seifer, Zell and Irvine. The girls, Quistis and Selphie were still at the house, waiting for Cid and Edea to come.

Zell shouted, "Matron said to never hit girls!"

Irvine nodded, "Especially cute ones!"

Jonathan stood up, a foot on Katiya's small belly and pulled out his ax.

"I'd leave, you little brats," He warned, lifting his boot off of Katiya, only to smash it down on her seconds later.

Katiya screamed, holding her stomach. Squall ran at him, the other boys following. Jonathan drove the handle of his ax into all four boys' stomachs. He laughed as all of them fell.

"Weaklings…"

"You son of a bitch!"

Jonathan turned, seeing Cid standing in front of Edea, Quistis and Selphie. Jonathan glared at him.

"Hello, brother."

Cid growled, "How dare you attack Katiya and the boys."

Jonathan put up a hand, "I attacked Katiya, and the brats came after me."

Edea noticed that Katiya was holding her neck in pain. Cid did as well.

"Leave now, or I will kill you."

Jonathan laughed, "Unlikely, but I will leave. I don't want you interfering in my slaughter of your daughter."

He then turned and ran off down the beach. Edea ran to Katiya, who was being checked on by the boys. Cid just glared at Jonathan vanished into the darkness.

"You said many times, Jonathan, that I could never kill you. You were wrong about that," Cid spoke, standing at the spot where Jonathan died, "I only wish that this could have come sooner, so my family wasn't put through so much pain."

Blood from all three, Cid, Katiya, and Jonathan was on the ground. The rope used to hang Katiya was on the ground as well, the rest remained hanging from the wall. The gun used to shoot her was near the rope, in a dried puddle of blood. The ax, however, was missing. Cid was suspicious of this, because he knew it did not go into the lava with its owner. It was still there when he left the fire cavern with his daughter in his arms.

"Hopefully, you are the last person that they will have to fear."

"Oh, Cid…you are wrong about that."

Cid turned after hearing the female voice, seeing Vinerica behind him, holding an infant.

He stared at the child, and glared, "Who the hell is that?"

Vinerica chuckled, "Pardon my rudeness; this is Jonathan Savt Jr., the son of myself and Jonathan."

The older man became slightly pale.

"And he will rid this earth of the Kramer name, like his father wanted. However, you and Katiya will not be two who die from him. I will see to your deaths."

Cid's eyes darkened, "I won't let that bastard live."

The blonde sorceress laughed, "Poor Cid, you won't live to see him slaughter your son and granddaughters."

"Listen Vinerica, I don't care about your vendetta against Katiya, she can deal with that, but I won't let that child live to grow up like his father!"

The Headmaster ran at the sorceress, but Vinerica's eyes glowed and he began to float up in the air, his body paralyzed.

"You will kill Katiya, Cid. I will make it happen," she told him before snapping her fingers and making all three vanish. Her plan was now in motion…


	6. Hurry Home

Chapter V

Hurry Home

"Three days…"

Celeste looked over from the balcony and saw Katiya staring at her cell phone. She closed it and her eyes, feeling tears forming in them. Katiya had three days left. It was finally April ninth.

"I don't want this…" Katiya spoke, wiping tears from her eyes, "I want to live until I grow old."

Celeste walked over to her and sat on the bed next to her, wrapping her arms around the brunette, holding her tight.

_Ring, ring._

Katiya looked at her phone and saw that it was Edea calling. She sniffled and opened her phone.

"Hello?"

"Katiya! Your father is missing!" Edea shouted, panicked.

Katiya stood, "What!?"

Two hours later, they were on a train heading back to Balamb. Katiya was worried. Edea told her that Cid disappeared weeks ago, but Edea didn't want to upset Katiya. She actually told Katiya to stay away from Garden, instead of returning in March. But now, with it dangerously close to the eleventh, Edea knew she had to tell Katiya. Katiya didn't like this one bit.

She went flying through the air and landed on the grass.

"Owwie…Daddy that hurt!" Katiya looked up at her father.

Cid sighed, "You need to learn what pain feels like. You need to get used to it. Now come on, try and hit me."

His seven-year old daughter ran at him and threw punches and kicks. Cid blocked all of them with ease. Katiya tried harder and harder. Eventually, the young girl got tired and fell to her knees.

"Katiya! Stand up! You can't quit when you're tired! You will get killed then!"

"But I am so tired!"

"Do it or else I am making you run up the stairs twenty times for every minute you stay down."

Katiya groaned, she hated the stairs. They were so tall and it was painful to run up them. She started throwing weak blows at her father, and they didn't have any precision.

"Work on your aim! These blows will never hit!"

Katiya closed her small blue eyes and sent a high kick to Cid's belly. It hit. Cid took half a second to recover and smiled.

"There you go! Good girl! Training's over for today!"

Katiya smiled and fell to her knees again. Cid laughed then scooped the small child up into his arms and carried her inside the house.

'I got used to the pain, alright…' Katiya thought as the train arrived at the station in Balamb.

Celeste looked at Katiya and began to stand.

Katiya grabbed her hand, "Wait. Celeste, I need to ask something of you."

Celeste sat back down, "What is it?"

"I want you to buy a ticket to Deling City, go there and remain there until after you hear the word of my death. Please. I don't want to risk your safety in this."

The redhead shook her head, "No. I won't leave you. Nothing will happen to me. You told me that I have to live to take care of the girls. I will be fine, Kitty, I promise you."

"I just have a bad feeling."

"Kitty…I am staying here, and that is final."

Katiya sighed, not wanting to argue.

Edea, Squall, Rinoa, Alexandra, and Nathanal were waiting outside the train as Katiya and Celeste came out.

Alex ran to Katiya, "Mom!"

Katiya smiled and hugged her daughter tightly.

"No one knows where he went?" Katiya spoke as Squall and Nathanal loaded the bags into the car.

Her mother sighed, "He went out and never came back."

Katiya stare at her feet, "Where could he have gone. It's not like Dad to leave like that."

"I'm right here."

Katiya and Edea turned, and before them stood Cid. Edea started walking to him.

"Cid! Where have you been?"

Katiya grabbed her mother's arm, whispering, "Look at his eyes…"

Edea glanced at Katiya, then to her husband and saw that his eyes were now black.

"Cid…?" She said, confused.

Vinerica walked out from around a corner, "So you noticed right away."

Katiya growled, "I knew I felt your powers, what have you done to my father?"

"I have changed him…for the better. Cid, why don't you demonstrate?"

Cid ran at Katiya, swinging his fist at his daughter. Katiya backfliped out of the way and glared at her father.

"He's faster…"

"And stronger, I merged al of his anger, all of his hatred towards you. I locked away the love and put the anger in control. All love he ever felt for you, all emotions, are not dormant. This will be the Cid who rips your heart out!" She shouted, watching Cid attack Katiya again.

Katiya tried dodging a barrage of punches, but was hit by a few. Vinerica increased his speed and strength incredibly. Katiya was overwhelmed. She covered her face with her arms and Cid sent blows into her stomach. Suddenly, Celeste ran over and pushed the Headmaster away.

"Stop it! Mr. Kramer, please!" She screamed, standing in front of Katiya.

Katiya was on her knees, holding her stomach, "Out of the way, Celeste!"

Vinerica laughed, "You may want to listen to your girlfriend, Celeste."

Cid's hand grabbed Celeste by the neck and held her up into the air. Celeste screamed. Katiya got up and tried to kick Cid. Cid threw Celeste at Vinerica and grabbed his daughter's leg. He then lifted her into the air and threw her into a nearby shop's window. Katiya screamed, hitting the glass and going through. Edea and Alexandra into the shop and to her. They heard Squall shout Cid and Celeste's names and turned, only to find that Cid, Vinerica and Celeste were all gone…


	7. Cid Reappears

Chapter VI

Cid Reappears

Katiya was pissed. After waking up in a pile glass, she learned that Cid and Vinerica had taken Celeste. She was fuming.

"What did you do to my father, Vinerica?" Katiya mumbled to herself, walking outside of the garden, hunting for any monsters that she could find.

Eventually, she found one, a T-Rexaur. She killed it with ease.

"Last minute training?"

Katiya spun around, eyes ablaze, knowing that that voice belonged to her father. Cid was two feet from her, arms crossed across his chest.

"You rat sucking son of a bitch!" Katiya shouted, about to raise her sword.

She gasped as Cid ran to her and grabbed her wrist, yanking it down.

He told her, "No, no, no…bad girl," he twisted her wrist.

Katiya yelped and dropped her katana. Cid then flipped backwards, nailing his feet under Katiya's jaw, brining her head back and sending her up into the air. She flew back two feet and landed on the ground. As she began to stand, Cid's foot stomped down on her ribcage. Katiya screamed, feeling the pain of her weak point.

"Do you want Celeste back?" Cid asked, staring into her eyes.

"You wouldn't kill her, would you?"

"If you don't listen to me, I will."

Katiya growled.

"First off, I will ask you one thing. We are going to die, or supposed to. But how about we change it. You, on the day that we are meant to die, come to me, get on your knees and allow me to end your life."

His daughter's eyes darkened, "I will never surrender myself to you!"

"Of course. I just wanted to try and change it. I figured you would decline. Which means-"

"Which means we fight, like we are supposed to!"

Cid sighed, "There won't be a fight, just a beat down. I will beat you senseless. I will break every bone in your body before I finally kill you. Your death will be slow and painful. And your little redheaded bitch will witness it all."

"What did Vinerica do to you…?"

Her father sneered, "She gave me the guts to kill my own daughter."

Katiya tried to throw him off, but he jumped away from her. Katiya stood up, pulling one of her sais out of her boot and throwing it at him. Cid smirked and caught it in his bare hand. Katiya gasped and saw blood slowly drip from his fist. He threw the sai back at her, scratching her arm.

"I know all of your moves. I taught you all of them, my little girl. I know your weaknesses. So, no matter how hard to try, no matter how many weapons you bring, no matter how many tricks you have up your sleeve, you can never beat me. You can't kill me."

"The hell I can't."

"We will see, won't we? I will be waiting for you to come. Until then, my little girl…" Cid walked away, smirking.

Katiya made no move to follow, she let him leave.

Katiya went back to the Garden and snuck to her room and to her bedroom. She didn't want to be seen by her mother or daughters. She went to a small freezer she had in the bathroom and pulled out an ice pack. She left the bedroom and went to her bed. After lying down, she put the ice pack on her chest and sighed. Vinerica used some sort of spell on her father, and Katiya feared that there was no spell to remove it. She knew one thing though; she wouldn't let Cid kill Celeste. If he did, he was going down.

She felt the cold chains around her wrists. She was scared, worried about herself, and Katiya. Celeste sat in a dark room, chained to a chair. She had been there for a while now. She had now clue what was going on, what happened to the Headmaster. However, she could feel evil coming from him and Vinerica.

"So how are you enjoying your stay here?"

Celeste looked up, seeing Cid enter the room.

"Mr. Kramer!" She spoke.

Cid walked up to her and put a hand on the side of her face, "You were always beautiful. Such a shame Katiya got to you first."

"Stop it! This isn't you!" Celeste shouted, scared.

"How many times must I hear that!? Yes this isn't that weak, pathetic old man! This is something greater. I am the stronger, better, smarter Cid Kramer. And I will have fun murdering your girlfriend."  
"You are her father!"

"That doesn't matter. She has been a pain in my spine all of my life! She is selfish, self-centered...she is nothing but a slut! She has betrayed me too many times! When I kill her, I will make her feel all the pain that her mother and I have dealt with while she has been living. I intend of destroying her, I will rip her apart, limb by limb. I will finish her."

"STOP IT!" She screamed, unable to hear more of his ranting.

"You will watch it all, Celeste."

Celeste looked horrified; she didn't think she could watch Katiya be killed in the way he described to her. She wanted to be with her when she died, but not like that. It would break her heart. This man was truly Vinerca's creation. He wasn't the real Cid Kramer. This man had no emotions but hate to his own daughter, his flesh and blood. He was not going to hold back against Katiya, he was going to throw everything at her. Could Katiya withstand it?

"Perhaps I will go after her children as well. After all, they may turn into Little Katiya's. That would be a nightmare."

The redhead shouted, "Please Sir! Come to your senses! Fight Vinerica's hold on you! Remember who you are!"

"He won't," Vinerica walked in, carrying Jonathan Jr.

Celeste saw the baby and her eyes went wide, she saw images in her head; two men standing next to each other, a redhead with vampire fangs, the head of a brunette hitting the floor, blood everywhere, a young child's dead body hanging from a pole in the ceiling, a male and female body next to her, a male's face, smirking. His face was the same as Jonathan's, only without the scars. This infant was pure evil. She could feel it. She closed her eyes, her head throbbing, and suddenly passed out…


	8. Confronting Vinerica

Chapter VII

Confronting Vinerica

Her hair was down, her ribs bandaged up, her knee brace was on. Katiya looked in the mirror as she hooked the back of her bra. She closed her eyes, moving her hands down her body, feeling her skin, her scars. She opened her eyes and sat down on the bed, grabbing her black leather boots. She put them on and laced them up, her hands shacking at the same time. She then pulled out her box of weapons and opened it, pulling out her sais and katana. She placed the katana on the bed and tucked her sais into her boots. She then grabbed her leather pans and put them on, putting a belt on after.

Edea came in as Katiya was putting on her black leather halter top. Katiya looked at her mother.

"Could you zip up my back?" She asked, turning.

Edea walked over and zipped up the back of her daughter's halter. Katiya sighed and put on her steel wrist bands and her black leather gloves. Edea watched sadness in her eyes. Katiya then put on her choker and turned to her mother. There was silence between the mother and daughter for a long time.

Edea finally said, "Katiya…I need to tell you something before you leave…"

Katiya looked into her mother's eyes and instantly knew it was serious.

She sat on the bed and pulled Edea next to her, "What is it, Mom?"

Edea closed her eyes, "I just found out this morning…I'm pregnant."

Katiya was shocked. She stared at the floor, unable to find words to respond.

"Dr. Kadowaki told me that I was pregnant two hours ago. Katiya I can't do this! Your father-you-why!?"

Katiya hugged her mother, who was now sobbing, "Yes you can…Mom, come on. You raised me, and I was more than a handful. Maybe, this is Dad's last gift to you…the Dad that we love at least."

Edea cried, "But he-"

"You have Nathanal, Alex, all the SeeD's, you have the whole Garden here to support you."

Edea looked at the floor, "I just can't believe it. Max will grow up without a father, now this baby."

"I know, but it will be fine," Katiya said, hugging her mother tightly.

Squall, Nathanal and Rinoa were outside Balamb Garden as Katiya and Edea walked out.

Nathanal asked, "Are you ready?"

Katiya closed her eyes and nodded, "Rinoa, tell everyone that I will miss them. And even thought we have had our differences, I always considered you a friend."

Rinoa nodded and embraced Katiya, "I did too."

Squall then told his wife, "Take care of the twins for me. I will be back in a day or two."

Rinoa nodded, knowing that their newborn twins, Hunter and Julia, were sound asleep.

Edea looked at her daughter, "What about the girls?"

The brunette lowered her head, "I don't want to make this any harder, Mom. I passed my powers onto Alex last night when she was sleeping, and that was hard."

"You should at least say good-bye."

"I-" Katiya began to speak.

"MOM!"

Katiya closed her eyes, knowing that Alex was behind her. Alex had brought Victoria with her, knowing that Katiya was leaving. Edea looked at her daughter and saw Katiya was in tears. Alex was crying as well and then noticed Victoria step forward.

She smiled at her mother, "Mommy…"

Katiya blinked, taken by her daughter's first word. Everyone else was nearly brought to tears. Katiya ran to Katiya and dropped to her knees, embracing her nearly one year old daughter.

"Oh Tori…my baby girl."

Alex smiled as Katiya pulled her over as well, hugging both of her daughters tightly.

"I love you both so much…" She whispered, crying and kissing each daughter's forehead.

Victoria repeated, "Mommy."

Katiya smiled and stood up, "I will always be here to watch you two. I love you."

Alex nodded, "We love you too, Mom."

Katiya slowly let go of her daughter's hands. As she did, she felt so much pain in her heart; it was tearing itself up into shreds. With one final smile, she turned and left Balamb Garden for the final time. Once she entered the Ragnarok and entered the cockpit, she collapsed into tears. Her mother was the first one to console her.

It had been three hours since Cid had left with Celeste. Today was the day. She couldn't wait. Vinerica watched her son sleep in his crib and thought about how her life long rival would die in less than one day. Jonathan and Alex would be avenged.

She heard a noise coming from the hall and she immediately left the nursery. Once she entered the hall and closed the door behind her, she felt a cold blade against the back of her neck. She then heard Katiya's voice.

"Where is he, bitch!?" She demanded, pissed and pressing the blade against the blonde's neck.

Vinerica slowly turned to face the furious woman, slowly, worried that the blade would wound her. She noticed Squall, Edea and Nathanal behind Katiya.

"I don't know. He left hours ago."

"Where is Celeste?"

"With him."

Katiya growled. Squall approached her, his gunblade drawn.

"Katiya, she knows nothing, and he isn't here. Let's go."  
Edea nodded, "Yes, Katiya, she doesn't know anything."

Katiya growled again.

Vinerica looked slightly afraid of Katiya's anger, "He's not here and he didn't tell me where he was taking her."

"Like I should trust you. You had my girlfriend raped."

Vinerica was silent.

Katiya lowered her katana and turned, "Let's go. The smell of this place is making me want to vomit."

"Oh Katiya," Vinerica spoke, "I do hope your girlfriend begs for mercy before he kills-"

A heartbeat later, blood sprayed through the air. Katiya had decapitated Vinerica.

Squall, Edea and Nathanal gasped as the blonde's head hit the floor and rolled around, blood pouring from the neck. Her body joined the head soon after. Katiya held her katana, glaring. She put it back in the scabbard and walked away from the dead sorceress. The others followed, shocked. They left Vinerica's body to rot…


	9. A Sudden Death

Chapter VIII

A Sudden Death

Vinerica was dead. Katiya had killed her and now she was going to kill her own father. Katiya sat in a chair in the cockpit of the Ragnarok, staring out the window. Edea sat near her, still shocked that Katiya had decapitated Vinerica.

Squall was steering the air ship when he asked, "Where do we go now?"

"The old orphanage," Katiya replied, "He is there. I can feel it in my gut."

Edea stared at Katiya as she stood and left the room.

When they arrived at the Orphanage, Katiya immediately raced off of the Ragnarok. She immediately saw Cid standing in the doorway of the main house, wearing all black pants and a black muscle shirt. He had his arm wrapped around the throat of Celeste, who was happy to see Katiya, and at the same time, terrified. Edea, Nathanal and Squall joined Katiya and stared at Cid as well.

Cid sneered at his daughter, "Hello, Darling."

"I'm here, you sick bastard, now let her go," Katiya warned, placing a hand on the hilt of her sword.

Cid sighed, "Now, now, now. Remember your manners."

"Like you should be the one to talk, you have your arm around an innocent girl's neck."

"Innocent?" Cid laughed, "If she loves you, she's not innocent."

Katiya's eyes darkened.

Celeste started crying, "Kitty…"

"Celeste, don't worry, I won't let anything happen to you."

Edea screamed, "Please, Cid! Stop this! Vinerica's dead! The spell should be broken!"

"No," Katiya replied, "She put that spell on to effect him no matter what. She must have had a feeling that I was going to kill her. That bitch."

Nathanal looked at Katiya, "Then what do we do?"

"We save Celeste, and then I kill that son of a bitch."

Cid stared at her, "Unlikely. You are too weak to do a damn thing to me."

"Let her go and we can find out if that is true."

Her father laughed again, "You are pathetic. Why didn't I just let you die when I had the chance? You are a disgrace to the Kramer name."

"Tell me something I haven't already heard from you," Katiya replied.

Cid stared at his daughter, "You never should have been born. You destroyed my life."

"You are boring me, old man! Let her go and let's get on with this!" Katiya shouted.

"Why the rush? You were always impatient."

"And you were always an ass."

"Again with the smart mouth comments. I am not surprised. You know no other way to speak."  
Katiya snapped, "I don't need to know any other way."

"Fine," Cid sighed, "Be that way."

Suddenly, he saw an image of Little Katiya's face. He heard the sound of her voice, saying 'Daddy.' He loosened his grip on Celeste and held his head.

Katiya watched him then shouted, "CELESTE RUN!"

Celeste looked at Cid, then Katiya, then broke away, running towards Katiya. Cid growled and picked up a spear he had nearby.

"I won't let you escape that easily…" He growled, raising the spear and throwing it in the air.

Katiya screamed, "CELESTE! LOOK OUT!"

It was too late. The spear entered the redhead's chest.

__

Katiya. I never loved anyone more in my life then I did you. You protected me, you saved me. There were problems here and there but I never stopped loving you. You were a blessing in my life. I will always be in your debt. Thank you.

Katiya was two feet away from her lover when Celeste was hit with the spear. When it entered Celeste, it pierced through between her breasts. Blood splashed on Katiya's clothing. The brunette instantly felt tears in her eyes as they slowly widened. Celeste regained her balance and stared into Katiya's eyes.

"Kitty…all I ever wanted was to die with you. I guess I will get my wish…"

She fell forward and kissed Katiya on the lips. Katiya closed her eyes, kissing her back. Celeste then broke away, smiling, blood beginning to pour from her mouth.

"I love you…"

After saying those final words to Katiya, her body fell backwards and her eyes closed for the final time…


	10. Final Goodbyes

Chapter IX

Final Goodbyes

Before her lover's body hit the ground, Katiya caught her, crying uncontrollably.

"No…no…Celeste…please no…not like this! Not like this! Wake up! Please! Please Celeste! Don't die on me!" Katiya screamed, hysterical.

Cid stared at his daughter, sneering, and spoke, "Such a waste. Too bad."

Katiya looked up at him, enraged. She pulled the spear out of Celeste's body and stood up.

"YOU FUCKING BASTARD!" She screamed, throwing the spear back at Cid.

Her father dodged it, "Come find me when you are ready. I will be waiting."

He ran off. Katiya glared, tears pouring from her eyes. She dropped to her knees and held Celeste's lifeless corpse in her arms. She held her tightly, devastated. She buried her head into Celeste's chest, sobbing. Edea and Nathanal were in shock, Nathanal's arms were around his mother. Squall lowered his head.

Katiya pushed red hair from Celeste's face and kissed her lips. She then caressed the redhead's still warm face.

"Wait for me, I'm coming. I have to take him out first," she whispered, laying Celeste down and standing.

Edea stepped forward, "Katiya…"

Katiya turned her head, "I'm going after him…alone. He made this more personal than ever. I am going to finish him."

Edea nodded and pulled out a handkerchief, wiping blood from Katiya's face.

"I;m so sorry about, Celeste…She shouldn't have died like this…" Edea told her daughter.

Katiya looked down, "He will pay."

Edea nodded then hugged her daughter for the final time, "I love you, Katiya. I wish I could tell your father that."

"I promise I will before he dies."  
Edea nodded, crying.

Nathanal put a hand on his sister's shoulder, "Sister…"

Squall walked over, "Katiya…"

Katiya looked at Squall, "Take care of Alex and Tori for me. You too, Nathanal. And take care of Mom, Max and the baby…"

Nathanal blinked, "Baby?"

Edea looked down; Squall and Nathanal realized Edea was pregnant."

Katiya turned and spoke, "I love you all," She looked back at them, pulling out her katana, "Goodbye."

She walked off in the direction that Cid went. Edea cried and Nathanal held is mother close. Squall closed his eyes.

They all knew that this would be the final time that they would ever see Cid and Katiya alive again.

Katiya exited the back of the main house. She walked near the ledge by the clotheslines. The brunette saw Cid off in the distance, near the lighthouse. Her eyes darkened as she ran down the stone steps to the beach. As she ran down them, she remembered her training there. How many times she ran up and down those steps…

_Everything that has happened to us, from Grandmother and Grandfather's murders, to Celeste's…was it all leading up to his moment? Why did all of those innocent people have to die before we do? Celeste, Petra, Grandmother, Grandfather, Rinoa's unborn child…why all those deaths only to read to this? Why is this how fate turns out? All of this was planned out from the very start. Why?_

Katiya reached Cid and stopped, glaring at him. Cid had his back turned to his daughter until he heard her footsteps. He turned and faced her, his face emotionless. They stared at each other, ready to fulfill their fate.

Sniffles could be heard as the door opened. A small girl walked out, rubbing her eyes with a tiny fist. She held a teddy bear and walked to the stairway. She saw light coming from a room downstairs. She snuffled again.

"Daddy…?"


	11. Daddy's Little Girl

Final Chapter

Daddy's Little Girl

A little girl walked down the stairway, holding a teddy bear. She had been crying for a while. IT was late and she knew that when she saw the door open downstairs and light coming from it, that Daddy was awake. She walked into the room, her father's study. Her father was sitting at his desk, writing out documents. She sobbed again, standing still.

"Daddy…?" She whispered, wiping her eyes with her fist.

Her father lifted his head, barely hearing the whisper. He saw her and stood up immediately, going to his little child.

"Katiya…" Cid kneeled down before her, "What's wrong?"

She sobbed again, "I had a nightmare…"

They stood ten feet away from each other, both ready for this. This was many years coming. The rivalry was about to end. Cid smirked when he saw Celeste's blood on Katiya's hands and clothing.

"So, how does it feel? You failed her," he spoke, cracking his knuckles.

Katiya balled her fists, "You killed her…"

Cid chuckled.

His daughter pulled out her katana and launched her body towards him, driven by rage, "YOU BASTARD!"

The battle began.

Cid pulled out his sword as she swung at him, he blocked it.

"As weak as ever," He taunted, "No wonder why she is rotting in hell, where you will be shortly!"

He punched her across the face, sending her back against the wall of the lighthouse. Katiya wiped blood from underneath her nose and placed her sword into the ground. She raised her gloved hands and wiggled hr fingers.

"Come on, old man."

Cid's eyes narrowed as his daughter balled her fists. After putting his sword on the ground, he got into his stance and watched her. They circled each other, like boxers in the opening round of a fierce fight. Cid's stance reminded Katiya of her childhood, when he trained her. She was distracted by them for one moment, which was enough time for Cid to drive his fist deep into his daughter's belly. Katiya doubled over slightly, keeping her guard up. She connected a jab to his stomach. He didn't even flinch as he nailed her across the jaw with a hard right. She fired back with a left. Cid laughed and struck Katiya with a roundhouse kick. Katiya was knocked backwards and listened to her father's laughing,

"And you call yourself a Kramer? Nonetheless my daughter?"

Katiya came back with a left, then a right, followed by a backhand. Her father took all three blows and was sent back. He put a hand underneath his bottom lip and felt liquid. He looked at his hand and saw blood. Seeing his blood made him shake.

"You little bitch…" He grabbed her by the neck and pinned her against the wall, "You will pay for that."

Katiya felt a knee enter her belly, hitting her in the ribs. She screamed and fell forward to the ground, her right arm wrapped around her belly. Cid retrieved his sword and kicked her in the ribs again, eyeing a target on his daughter's body. He raised the sword and brought it down into her left hand. Katiya cried out in pain. After pulling the sword out, he kicked her across the face. His daughter landed on her side, her left hand bleeding badly. She saw her katana in arms reach and grabbed it, rolling over and blocking a blow that Cid sent. She stood, holding her sword with one hand, her other, bloodied hand wrapped around her chest.

"You won't kill me that easily, Cid."

He growled and swung his sword at her, only for it to be blocked by Katiya's katana.

"What was your nightmare about?" Cid asked his little daughter.

Katiya sobbed, "Blood, lots of blood. You were looking angry. And a tall brunette was looking angry. I think I heard your say it was me…It scared me…"

Cid blinked, "Anything else?"

"Yes…"

"What is it?"

"They were fighting."

Cid's eyes widened.

Katiya fell on one knee, holding her right arm in pain, her katana falling next to her. Cid cut her arm very deep, deeper than all the other scratches either had inflicted on each other's bodies. Cid regained is breath, watching Katiya recover.

"I see my training didn't completely go to waste," he told her, his grip on his sword tightening.

His daughter replied, "You didn't train me…you were never even there. You were created by Vinerica from all of Cid's anger towards me. The man who trained me was the part of Cid Kramer who loved me! My father!" She stood up, "You are just a fraud!"

Cid's eyes narrowed again as he raised his sword. Just as he brought it down on her, she rolled out of the way and reached for her sais that were tucked in her boots. She pulled them out and got ready to fight him, ignoring the pain in her whole body. She wasn't going down yet, not without taking Cid out with her.

"Come on, Cid," She spoke, "Let's finish this!"

Cid glared at her and ran at her, enraged. He was determined to destroy her. It was time to end this. Both were wiped out, their energy gone. That didn't stop them; however, as they both kept going. Both were strong. For a long time, the battle was evened out, with neither getting the upper hand. Sparks flew as the blades collided. Blood and sweat sprayed through the air as the blades, fists and feet collided with the body of their target. Both were tired, but their anger, their hatred, drove them on.

Cid picked up his little girl and held her in his arms. Katiya was still sobbing.

Her father told her, "It's okay, it was just a nightmare. Nightmares are just tricks your mind plays to scare you. Nothing like that would ever happen. I promise you."

She sobbed again and wrapped her tiny arms around his neck and rested her small head against his chest. Moments later, she looked up at her father.

Katiya sent Cid reeling with a kick to his face, then ran at him, going for the kill.

"It's over, Cid!"

"I love you, Daddy…"

Blood droplets went into the air; both Cid and Katiya were frozen. Katiya's sais hit the ground.

Katiya Kramer stood there, eyes wide, the tip of her father's sword sticking a foot out of her chest. Cid was behind her, hands tight around the hilt of his sword. Katiya felt tears forming in her blue eyes, knowing that this was it. Her father twisted the sword, forcing a blood curdling scream from Katiya's mouth. He brought the blade down about six inches, cutting through her organs.

"I win, Katiya. You will be dead in about a minute or two," He whispered in her ear, pulling the blade out of his daughter's body.

Katiya remained standing, "No…I am not going to die, not until I kill you…"

"And what can you do? Right now, your heart is stopping, your lungs are cut, and your spine may be severed. Your life will end within seconds," He walked past her, "I guess fate was wrong."

Katiya took a deep breath, "Guess again."

He turned, only for a sharp dagger to enter his neck, cutting a major blood vein. Katiya was forcing it in with both hands, shaking. Eventually she lost her strength and leaned against him.

She couldn't stand much longer. Blood poured from every limb, her body shook, "Daddy…I love you…"

Her eyes closed as she fell, letting go of the dagger that she forced into his neck. She landed on the ground in a puddle of her own blood, her body still.

Katiya Kramer was dead.

Cid looked down at Katiya, only to find that she had fallen asleep. He smiled and saw down on his chair, kissing her forehead.

"I love you, too…"

Cid fell to his knees and picked up Katiya's dead body. Vinerica's spell was broken, he was back to normal.

"My little girl…" he whispered, tears in his once again blue eyes, "Forgive me…"

He put her body down and fell to his side. He was waiting for his death.

"I love you, my little girl…I love you, too…Katiya…"

He closed his eyes for the final time, dying moments later.

Cid fell asleep in his chair, holding his small daughter. Both were finally at peace…


End file.
